2007 Vancouver SG1/SGA Convention - Day I

[aruan]

Flight Parents, sedatives aren't just for you. They're also for your toddler, whose legs are just long enough to reach the back of the seat in front of her and pound on it constantly while whining and crying for three hours.

Vancouver Exactly as advertised: rainy and gloomy. The city is very big, and a bit more dodgy than I thought, but my hair and skin love it, so who am I to question.

Canada Surprisingly progressive. I'm not even miffed by all the extra taxes on my bottled items, since they're meant to encourage me to recycle. Also, learned more about world affairs in half an hour of CBC news than in the past five years of CNN.

Hilton Metrotown You're charging me WHAT a night without free Internet and a mini fridge?

Creation Hire more personable people to represent you. Nobody likes being talked down to or yelled at about queues after being on and off airplanes for the better part of the day.

SaveOnFoods You = love. I've got organic flaxseed tortilla chips, organic Granny Smith apples, bananas, real fruit juice gummy bears, an assortment of nuts and dried apricots, enormous chunks of organic chocolate with almonds, Orangina, four small various fruity/nutty muffins and a bottle of glacier water.

Dinner Ostrich tastes like chicken would if chicken had any flavor. Also, Thai fried rice is clearly superior to other nationalities' offerings.

Dessert Bingo Choooooooocolaaaaaaate. So much chocolate, y'all. Poor Gary Chalk had no idea what he volunteered for announcing the numbers for that square pattern. Dan Shea, on the other hand, embraced it completely and I suspect had some intention of making good on our offer to give him the physicality he lamented the game lacking by the end of it. But the thought I left with was not understanding how little old ladies can play this game for hours on end - I was a nervous wreck midway through the second round.

Doing my first convention alone since The X-Files Expo 10 years ago? Not bad. Tip of the hat to Debbie the trucker for the cigarette and shotgun solidarity, U.K. Carol for lively conversation and Hot Topic queue mate for the Michael Shanks swoonage.

Comments

[without-me.livejournal.com]

Hahahaha! Which Expo did you go to? And smooch Vancouver for me, yes?

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

The one in Miami. It was on an abandoned Air Force base and everything! I loved it, and shaking hands with the Cigarette Smoking Man was once of those Experiences for me. He was great. Nick Lea was a sweetheart who signed two things for me (one was for my English teacher!) and Steve Spotnitz totally had my back during the trivia segment. Good times.

Oh, Vancouver. Apparently, it rains 300 days out of the year. But it is otherwise a marvelous city.

[spike21.livejournal.com]

In defense of Vancouver this is a freakish amount of rain even for us. Good golly!

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

I heard this year has been crazy rainy! But then, the odd weather is why I got to go skiing on Grouse Mountain yesterday, so I'll take it. With lots of warm beverages, but I'll take it.

So sad we're going to different "Dog's Breakfast" screenings - would've been nice to gossip with someone who doesn't freak at the mention of John/Rodney. Man, tough crowd here.

[spike21.livejournal.com]

Really? How weird is *that*? I mean I know not all of SGA fandom is slash, but I tend to forget there are people out there who are actually freaked by it. *boggles*

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

Oh, the woman behind me really went off on Jack/Daniel fic last night. And I'm all, live and let live! Quietly though, as the general consensus around me seemed to be the same. Sigh. But we could all agree on Cliff Simon (and Carmen Argenziano!) taking their shirts off for charity and Teryl Rothery doing a lapdance for a guy in the audience to "Big Spender." My face HURTS from laughing.

[thepouncer.livejournal.com]

If you're interested in learning more about world affairs, I can recommend www.economist.com. They're ace for comprehensive coverage, and explain the background of any major events. Friday is the day most new content is posted, although there are occasional articles put up during the week.

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

Awesome, thank you. It was so surprising and interesting to hear about countries that aren't either developing nuclear technology or are U.S. trading partners.

[thepouncer.livejournal.com]

American news outlets are horrible at international coverage. If you look at enough places (Washington Post *and* New York Times *and* CNN), you can sometimes get a good picture, but The Economist is British and takes a nicely broad view. I'm interested in things that affect the U.S., but I'm also interested in countries that have very little to do with us.